Knockdown barrel and method and machine for forming same



Feb. 24, 1931. w. G. LATIMER 1,794,116

KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING SME Filed May 17,'1926 7 sheets-sheet 1 J 'MII Feb. 24, 1931. w, G, LATIMER 1394316 KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MACHINE F'OR FORMING SAME Filed May 17, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 24, 1931. w, (g- LATlMER t 1,794,116

KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MCHINE FOR 'FORMING SAME Filed May 17. 1926 '7 sheets-sheei 5 Pf3/,Mu

Feb. 24, 1931.

w. G. LATIMER 1,794,116

KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING SAME Filed May 17. 192e 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 wml, Wm MA www Feb. 24, 1931.

w. G. LATIMER KNOGKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING SAME Filed May 17. 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 5,/ ora 5,

N MM Mw Q Yi l Feb. 24, 1931. A w, G. LATlMER 1,794,116

KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING SAME Filed May 17, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 n lue wko@ Feb. 24, 1931. w G. LAT|MER 1,794,116

KNOCKDOWN BARREL AD METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING SAME Filed May 17 l 1926 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 @gw WMM /W MM P6 Grromnw Patented Feb. l24, 1931 `UNITED STATES PATENT rca] WILLIAM G, LATIMER, or DETROIT, rarcarre-mtr, Assis-non To FEDERAL coormmen CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, Mrcnrean, A CORPGRATTON or MICHIGAN KNOCKDOWN BARREL AND METHOD Application filed May 1?,

The invention relates to the manufacture of barrels and has for its principal object the obtaining of a knock Clown construction which is capable of being compactly stored and shipped and which may be easily and quickly set up at the point of use by comparatively unskilled labor.

Y Among the further objects of the invention vention consists in the novel constructionv of the knock-down barrel 'and the methodand machine for forming the same as hereinafter set forth.

In the present state of the art of forming barrel staves a considerable percentage of waste is due to either irregular formation of the staves or the splitting of the same during such formation. A. stave for a bilge barrel is of double tapering form having no straight edge for guiding the stock while operated upon the cutters and consequently it is diiicult to hold the work to an eXact form. Frequently there will be displacement during the operation which will result in a distorted form and where the grain is not straight there is danger of splitting off portions of the stave so as to render it useless.

With my improved machine the stock is rigidly held to a rectilinear course during the forming operation and consequently all of the staves are standard in construction and are interchangeable. |The assembly of a barrel from separate staves requires the skilled operation of a cooper. With my improved construction the staves are so united with each other as to form sections which may be laid flat but which may be easily fashioned into a tight barrel with all of the staves securely held from displacement. While my improved barrel might be formed in various ways7 I preferably employ for its production Ann :anonima For. roRMnvGsAr/rn 192e. serial No. 109,727.

an automatic machine which successively performs the Voperations of fashioning the staves and assembling the same into knockdown sections.

1n the drawings;

Figure 1 isa side elevation of one-half of the machine.

Figure lfis a similar view of thel complementary portion of the machine. x

Figure 2 is an end elevation of a portion of themachine. l

Figure 3 is an elevation of the opposite end of the machine partly in section to show the manner of forming the croze. y

Figure 4 is a plan view partly in horizontal section showing theframe and a part of the mechanism mounted thereon.

Figure 5 is a cross section Von line 5 5 of Figure 4. Y

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is aA perspective view showing the means forv aligning the staves prior to the assembling of the samento'sections. i

Figure 8 is a plan view of the stave assembling mechanism.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the wire feed and stapling mechanism.

Figure 10 is a cross lsection of the stave blank. 1`

Figure 11 shows the fashioning of the outer surface of the stave blank and the Vformation of the guide groove therein.

As shown 1 is a suitable frame for support ing the various mechanismsfor successively' operating upon the stock, together with the transporting means for the stock from one mechanism to another, rFhe stock for formi ing the staves may be sawed from refuse lumber being cut into slats of approximately uniform width and thickness. These slats 2 are preferably engaged in a holder 3 from which they are successively fed transversely by a reciprocating feeder bar 4 operated from a crank 5 by a link or pitman 6. are

saws mounted upon an arbor 8 and arranged to trim the slats 2 to uniform length as they are successively advanced in transverse series over horizontal guides 9. Beyond: the` saws these guides are stepped downward at 10 to permit the end slat to drop below the restv of the series and to be fed by a Vshoulder 11 on the reciprocating vfeed bar into a holder 12. This holder 12l may contain several of the slats in vertical series, the lowermost` slat resting upon a longitudinally slotted guide 13. 114 is a feed chain having secured thereto lugs 14a which project up-V ward through the slotted guide'l to engage the end of the lowermost slat and vto feed said slat forward in the longitudinal Vdirection thereof. Arranged slightly in advance of the slat in its position of first engagement with the lugs V14a is a fashioning cutter 15 which shapes theiupper face of the slat to a f convex or arcuate form having a radius corform in the centre of the upperconveX sur-` face of the slat a guide groove 18 adapted to engage a longitudinally extending guide bar 19 mounted onthe frame. Thus, after tne engagement of said groove 18 with the guide 19, the slat will be held from lateral displacement or change in direction during its longitudinal movement To convert the slat into a staveit is necessary to fashion the opposite side edges thereof so as to impart a. double taper longitudinally thereof and also to form said edges for interlocking engagement with adjacent staves. The fashioning of the staves is accomplished by edge cutters 20 which are mounted upon arbors 21 arranged on opposite sides of the stave and journaled in swingable frames 22. The swinging movement of said frames is controlled by cams v23 which bear against lugs Qll projecting from said frames to cause a positive rocking movement ofthe arbors 21 and cutters toward each other. This movement is yieldingly'resisted by a spring 25 for pressing said frames away from each other and is further resisted by a reaction of the cutter upon the edges ofthe work. I Thus the cutters 2O will operate upon the stocleduring its longitudinal advancementand by suitably fashioning and timing the cams 23 any desired longitudinal contour may be imparted to the stave. This contour is suoli as to produce the desired bilge in the barrel while the ransverse contour is such as to form the desired interlocking engagement. Preferably the transverse contour is such Vas to form a tongue and groove engagement between adjacent staves and also to Ntake into account the curvature of each stave so that they will tightly lit with each other when assembled into the cylinder of the barrel. Y

During the operation of the cutters 2O upon the stock the latter is held to its rectilinear course by the guide 19 as previously described and as this guide isA straight as is also the groove 18 the staves will be perfectly symmetrical. s'Vliile still in engagement with the guide 19 at a .point beyond the point of disengagement of the lug 14a from the stave, there is arrr` igeda bottom planing cutterQG. This preferably forms a flat smooth face on the stave during the continued forward movement thereof under the actuation of a following stave engaged by another lug 14a on the feed chain let. The stave is then disengaged from the guide 19 and drops into a holder 27 where successive staves may be arranged in vertical series. F rom the holder 27- the staves are successively fed transversely to form a series. This feeding is preferably effected byareciprocating feeder 28 having a pusher bar 29 which in each reciprocation engages the lowermost stave of the series in the holder 27 andl advances it over guides 30 transversely a distance greater than the width ofthe stave. The'feeder 28 is further provided withV a series of pawls 31, 32 and 33 which successively engage with the advanced staves and further advance them in open series to a point where the crozing and stapling operations are to be performed. By this construction-each stave will be exactly positioned in relation to the crozing and stapling mechanism which is essential to the proper operation thereof. y

' Oroseng 'mechanism VThe crozing cutters 34 are mounted upon an arbor which is journaled in'bearings in a swinging frame 36. The pivotal centre 37 of this frame is sorlocated that the radius of the arc through which the cutter 34 swings is exactly equal to the radius of the barrel head and thus the path of the cutter through the stave will form an are of this radius. It is necessary, however, that the stave should be firmly held during the crozing operation which may be accomplished by clamps 38 actuated by cams 39 on a shaft 4() and operating to'lirmly clamp the Vstave onV the guides 30. The mechanism is so timed that after each stave is fed to the position for operation upon by the crozing cutter, the clamp 38 is tightened and remains in engagement with the stave until the completion of movement of the crozing cutter. `The clamp is then released and the crozed stave is displaced by a successive stave after which the operation is repeated. l

Staphng mechanism For the purpose of hingedly connecting the staves to form the knock down barrel sections,

adjacent staves are connected to each other by pairs of staples which are arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal centre thereof.

Any suitable construction of stapling mech-` p reciprocating head for bending the Wire of the staple over the anvil 41, and 43 is a driving head which engages the staple after the lat-eral withdrawal of the anvil and drives the two prongs thereof respectively into the adjacent staves. The wire for forming'the staple is advanced into engagement with the anvil and head 42 by an oscillatory rock arm 44 having feed pawls 45 thereon. This rock arm 44 in turn is actuated by a reciprocating rod 46 actuated by an eccentric 47 on a shaft 40 which is timed to make a revolution for each advancement of stave by the feeder 28.

The engagement between the reciprocating rod 46 and the oscillatory arm 44 is through the medium of a hooked pawl 49 pivotally attached to the rod 46 and engaging a pin 50 on the rock shaft 51 to Ywhich the arm 44 is secured. The pivotal pawl 49 has a counter-weight 52 which normally holds it in engagement with the pin 50 but after a predetermined number of reciprocations corresponding to the number of staves 1n one barrel section, said pawl is disengaged to omit the formation of a staple. The disengagement is effected by a cam 53 on a rotary member 54 which is actuated step by step through a hooked pawl 55 also carried by the reciprocating member 46. The pawl 55 engages a ratchet wheel 56 on the rotary mem ber 54 and the number of teeth in this ratchet wheel corresponds to the number of staves in the section. Thus, once in each complete revolution of the member 54 the cam l53 is so positioned as to engage with the lug 57 on the pawl 49 disengaging said pawl from the pin 50 and permitting one reciprocation of the rod 46 without the corresponding oscillation of the member 44. However, the operation of the pawl 55 occurs as usual and removes the cam 53 so that in the succeeding reciprocation of the rod 46 the pawl 49 will reengage with the pin 50 and again feed the wire for the staple. The staple forming mechanism just described is duplicated for the simultaneous forming of the two staples which are engaged with each pair of staves, the functioning of said mechanisms being identical. Any suitable driving and timing mechanism may be employedv for operating the mechanisms previously described but as shown, the construction is as follows:

The cutters 7 are driven by a belt 58 from a shaft 59. `The cutters l5 and 20 are driven respectively bybelts 60 and 61 from a shaft 62 and the cutters 34 are driven by a belt 63 from a shaft 64. No connecting mechanism is shown between the shafts 59, 62, and 64'but it is obvious that all may -be driven from a common source of power. The shaft 62 also drives a belt 65 which ac tuates a pulley 66l and therefrom a step down gearing 67 and 68V on a shaft 69. This shaft extends transversely of the frame and actuates a sprocket 70 for driving the feed chain 14. The shaft 69 also has mounted thereon a beveled gear wheel 71 for actuating the beveled gear wheel 72 on a shaft 73 which through the medium of spur gears 74, 75 actuates the longitudinally extending shaft 76.

ther actuates through the medium of aV sprocket and chain connection 85 a spur gear 66 which intermeshes with theV gears 87 and 88 for actuating the cams 23.

Operation Tn operation the stock or slats 2 from which the staves are to be formed and which are approximately of uniform width and thickness are placed in the holder 3 from which in the successive reciprocations of the feederv bar 4 they will be advanced in transverse series. As these slats pass the saws 7 they are trimmed to thek proper length and in their further progress successively drop down the step 10 and are then pushed by the shoulder 11 on the feed bar 4 into the holder 12. This dropping of the slat on the step 10 compensates for any variation in the width of the slats which in the whole series might be sufhcient to throw them out of registration-with the holder 12. However, the

slat on the step 10 is independently fed byv the shoulder 11 and therefore is placed in eX- act registration with the holder 12.

The slats in the holder 12 will be successively fed longitudinally by the lug 14a on the feed chain 14 and as each slat is advanced it goes first into engagement with the roller disc 16, the V-shaped or sharpened edge of which holds the slat from lateral displacement. This roller is preferably mounted on a rock frame 16a: and is pressed downward by the tension of the spring 16?). After passing the roller 16 t-he forward end of the slat passes under a presser bearing 89 which is under the tension of a spring 90 and which holds the slat against the bed or table while it is"operated upon by the cutters and 17. As previously described the cutters 15 shape the upper face of the stave and the cutter'l? forms a central groove therein for engagement wit the guide 19.

After leaving ,the cutters 15 and 17 the slat goes into engagement with the guide 19 `which will hold it to a` rectilinear course and inward movement of the cutters con-v trolled by the cams-23 will impart to the slat tho desired longitudinal contour. This will be exactly predetermined inasmuch as the feed chain la and cams 28 operate inrtimedv relation to each other.

is the machine is designed touse low grade stock frequently cross grained, there is :danger of splitting when operatedupon by the cutters. This is particularly true at the end of the side shaping cut where the splitting olf of an end may render the stave useless. rllhis difficulty I have overcome by reversing the usual practice and rot-ating the shaping cutters 20 in the `direction of feed instead of'counter to such direction. It is, however, necessary to also retard the advance of the blank preferablylby friction retarding means; Thus, as shown in Figure 15, the cutting edges of each rotary cutter enter upon their cut in a direction transverse to the grain of the wood so as to have no tendency to split off the end portion of the stave. After passing out of engagement with the cutters 2O the staves are advanced to the planing cutter 26 which smooths the lower or inner face thereof. This cutter is located beyond the sprocket 70 which drives the chairL 1d thereby avoiding interference with such chain and the Vfeeding of the stave after passing out of engagement with the lug 14a is effected by the pressure of the following stave. Thus, the stave will be advanced beyond the cutter 26 until it drops into the holder 27.

ln feeding the staves from the holder 27 it is very important 'that they should be properly aligned to avoid the projection of one stave beyond another. This is accomplished by a mechanism cooperating with the feeder 28 and comprising a yieldable stop bar 91 against which the end of the stave strikes on entering the holder 27. This bar 91 isY connected by a rod 92 with a bell crank lever 93 which is actuated by a pin or lug 94 on the pusher bar 29. As the latter approaches its rear position this will cause a movement of the member 91 against the end of the stave forcing'the latter backward until its opposite end engages a transversely eX- tending guide 95 (see F ig. la). A spring 96 forms a yielding connection for member91 between the rod 92, said member 91 and a stop bar 95 and thus permits said member 91 to yield when the stave first comes in conact with it.

The transverse feeding of the staves to the crozing and stapling mechanism has been previously described, this comp 1ising the pusher bar 29 and the series of pawls 31, 32, 33, etc., on the reciprocating feeder 28. The arrangement is such that when the stave reaches the point for engagement with the crozing cutter it will be exactly positioned bythe pawls 33 so that the longitudinal central line of the stave is in the plane of the pivot for the swinging frame 36. lfvliile in this position the clamps 38 are depressed by the cams 39 holding the stave from displacement while it is operated upon by the crozing cutter. This cut er swings withA the frame 36 and consequently cuts an arcuate groove of a radius corresponding tothe radius of the barrel head. y

The stapling is performed as previously described and the mechanism is so located that the driven staples embrace the oint between pair ofadjacent slats and at equal distances from the 'longitudinal centre thereof. The stapling is'preferably formed with its cross bar sutiicienily curved to permit rthe bending of the attached staves into the circle of the barrel. After the required number of staves has been `connected by staples to form a section the operation of the stapling mechanism is suspended for one cycle due to the action of theicam 53 operated by the ratchet wheel 56. This wheel has a number of teeth corre-spending to the number of staves in a section and consequently once in each revolution of said wheel he cam 53 will be positioned so to disengage the hooked pawl 19 from the pin 50 thereby sustaining the operation of the stapling mechanism for one cycle. The ratchet wheel 56 is held from displacement while the cam 53 is operating by means of a spring pressed latch dog 56a. `While l have described an automatic machine in which all of the operations for forming the knock down barrel sections are successively performed, it is obvious that the sameiresult could beattained by Ihe use of separate machines.

' lVhat I claim as my invention is:

` 1. A machine for manufacturing barrel staves comprisingfineans for longitudinally advancing the stave blank, means for forming in said blank during such advancement a longitudinally extending rectilinear groove, a guide for engaging said groove during further advancement of said blank to hold the same in a. rectilinear path, edge cutters for fashioning the opposite edges of said blank, and means for shifting said cutters with reference to the longitudinal axis of said blank timed with said advancing means.

2. A machine for manufacturing barrel staves comprising means for longitudinally advancing the stave blank, means for forming in said blank during said advancement a longitudinally extending rectilinear groove, a guide for engaging said groove during further advancement of said blank to hold the same in a rectilinear path, edge cutters for ashioning the opposite edges of said blank and means for actuating said edge cutters oppositely and equally with reference to the central longitudinal axis of said blank timed with said advancing means to impart an exactly predetermined symmetrical form to the stave.

3. A machine for manufacturing barrel staves comprising means for longitudinally advancing the stave blank, means for forming in said blank during such advancement a longitudinally extending rectilinear groove, a guide for engaging said groove during'fur- Vther advancement of said blank to hold the same in a rectilinear path, edge cutters for fashioning the opposite edges of said blank andmeans for actuating said edge cutters towards and from the central longitudinal axis of said blank timed with said advancing means to impart an exactly predetermined symmetrical form to the stave.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

WILLIAM Gr. LATIMER. 

